C40 Negotiate

Stepping out of the shop, Chu Yan cradled two hundred Spirit Money in his arms, along with a bag of exquisite spirit tea he had sweet-talked the shopkeeper into giving him. When he first tasted the tea, he immediately recognized its exceptional quality. Upon inquiring, he learned from the shopkeeper that the tea trees, which produced these leaves, were cultivated within the sect's territory, naturally nourished by spiritual energy—a far cry from the mundane teas of the secular world.

Each leaf was imbued with traces of spiritual energy, and brewing the tea promised to sharpen the mind and aid in cultivation. Yet, a mere bag cost a hefty thirty Spirit Money.

Having laid eyes on it, Chu Yan felt as though the tea was destined to be his. He left the shop with a sense of contentment, the shopkeeper's dismay notwithstanding.

The troublesome twin blades he had carried were now exchanged for the Spirit Money he urgently needed, and that was all that mattered.

Later, in a secluded alley with no one in sight, Chu Yan massaged a few specific points on his face, reverting to his original appearance shortly after. He then retrieved his silver scale spear and made his way to the Wan Hai Chamber of Commerce.

The previous day, Chu Yan had spotted an opulent carriage drawn by six Scarlet Crystal Horned Horses outside the Wan Hai Chamber of Commerce. Today, however, the carriage was nowhere to be seen, and the entrance had returned to its usual quiet state, as if yesterday's events had never occurred.

Unconcerned, Chu Yan entered the Wan Hai Chamber of Commerce and headed directly to the stall where he had purchased inscription patterns the day before. The same rotund shopkeeper greeted him.

Recognizing Chu Yan, the shopkeeper managed a smile and said, "Ah, the young noble returns. What are you looking to purchase today?"

"I'm not here to buy, but to sell," Chu Yan replied.

"Sell?" The shopkeeper blinked in surprise, then nodded. "Of course, we do purchase materials with inscriptions. May I ask what the young master has brought?"

"It's not materials. I have inscriptions to sell." Chu Yan presented the three Heavy Equipment Inscription Patterns he had prepared, laying them out on the counter before the shopkeeper.

"Selling inscriptions?" The shopkeeper's jowls quivered as he gaped at Chu Yan, his eyes wide with incredulity.

"Don't you take inscriptions here?" Chu Yan's brow furrowed.

He understood that shops everywhere, including the Wan Hai Chamber of Commerce, dealt in inscriptions. They were essential for unexpected needs and also for stocking up, since inscriptions weren't items one could simply conjure up on demand.

"Do you mean to say... you've crafted an inscription since returning yesterday?" The shopkeeper finally snapped out of his daze, his voice tinged with skepticism.

He wasn't an inscription master or even an apprentice, but managing the inscription counter at Wan Hai meant he was well-versed in the craft.

He knew that even the most gifted inscriptionist, who was at this moment being personally attended to by the head manager in the back hall, had faced numerous failures before achieving success.

So, the shopkeeper's initial impression was that Chu Yan was boasting, and doing so outrageously.

Chu Yan didn't respond directly but simply arched an eyebrow, gesturing for the shopkeeper to examine the items.

Upon inspection, the shopkeeper's doubts persisted as he scrutinized the three Heavy Equipment Inscription Patterns. They shimmered with quality, and one was indeed a first-rate, mid-grade piece.

The shopkeeper grew more dubious, refusing to believe that Chu Yan was the creator of these inscriptions.

The most plausible explanation was that Chu Yan had somehow acquired a few inscriptions and was now looking to sell them.

As for the claim of self-crafting, that seemed even less likely.

It was common for young men to boast, seeking attention and praise; such behavior was understandable at his age.

With this in mind, the shopkeeper felt he had grasped the situation's reality.

After a brief pause, he proposed, "For the three first-rate, mid-grade Heavy Equipment Inscription Patterns, I'll offer two hundred and sixty Spirit Money each. Let's round it up to an even eight hundred Spirit Money for all three. How does that sound?"

"It's too low," Chu Yan said with a furrowed brow.

The price was significantly less than what he had anticipated.

Considering the base cost of these three Heavy Equipment Inscription Patterns was nearly four hundred Spirit Money, not to mention the two he failed at the start, which should also be factored into the cost.

If he were to sell at this price, there wouldn't be much profit left for him.

"I won't take less than a thousand," Chu Yan stated coolly. "I'm aware that you sell each Heavy Equipment Inscription Pattern for over 400 Spirit Money. At that rate, you'd still make a profit of at least 100 Spirit Money on each."

"That may be so, but as you know, our Heavy Equipment Inscription Patterns are crafted by our own apprentices, and even masters, which naturally keeps the cost down," the shopkeeper said with a wry smile. "Nine hundred Spirit Money is already quite fair."

Chu Yan let out a cold laugh, grabbed the three inscription patterns from the shopkeeper, and walked away.

The shopkeeper wasn't lying, but Chu Yan was well aware that the Inscriptions he produced were superior to those of the apprentices here. They couldn't possibly be inferior, and once they were sold, they could easily be passed off as the work of the apprentices here. Who would know the difference if they didn't tell?

If the Wan Hai Chamber of Commerce couldn't recognize the quality of his work, Chu Yan was more than willing to take his business elsewhere. He was confident that other shops would be eager to have his Inscriptions.

The shopkeeper's earlier attempt to drive down the price now had him worried as he watched Chu Yan leave without another word.

His concern wasn't about losing a few hundred Spirit Money; he knew the young man must be backed by an Inscription apprentice, or even a master!

Whichever it was, the shopkeeper knew he needed to win them over, or at the very least, avoid offending them.

If the head shopkeeper found out he had slighted someone connected to an Inscription apprentice or master, his days as a shopkeeper would be numbered, and he'd face severe punishment.

So, without hesitation, he had to persuade Chu Yan to stay.

"Young master, please, let's talk this over," the shopkeeper urged, grabbing Chu Yan's arm. He then gestured to a passing maid in a pink dress, signaling her to quickly attend to Chu Yan.

Chu Yan paused, reaching into his cloak to pull out a packet of spirit tea. With a half-smile playing on his lips, he regarded the shopkeeper, "During my visit to other establishments, they graciously served me this tea and even gifted me a packet upon my departure."

"Absolutely, absolutely!" The shopkeeper wouldn't dream of uttering a word of refusal, his ample chest pounding with fervor. "The spirit tea offered by our Wan Hai Chamber of Commerce is second to none! Bring the young master our finest tea!"

Observing the shopkeeper's eager display, Chu Yan gave a nod of approval and settled back into his seat.